Romance Me Until I Level Up

Love is a box of earth in which you've buried your hopes as seeds. Sharing this box with someone, you become fragile to that person's touch and temper. In her or his hands is your garden. It can be up-dug, it can be drowned, or frozen dead.

When this person then plants her or his own dreams inside, you must be surprised. You must be floored, when she or he places this box between you. And drawn to the heat of it, you crouch over the soil, you nourish it, sing to it, dampen it, wait for it.

What sprouts, what flourishes, thrives or dies, time and the tantrums of weather decide. But setting yourself beside this person to grow dreams together, someday you realize it was this act, this humble task you shared, that fulfilled you most. Not the dreams, the seeds, the gleams of a brilliant goldlit future. Even if they lifted petals to the sky, and drooped afterwards with fruit. Even if they never broke the surface of the earth at all.

It was the little moments you were patient with each other and with life and the dreams you slept for that brought you to wholeness.

I mean, maybe. I don't know. Or you broke up or grew apart because things got weird somewhere, and anyway there was this other box I had, this one I didn't share with you, and the dream in there was the one I couldn't let you touch, I'm sorry, it was. Different.

Sorry, I know, but, and it's just.

Anyway, we're considering doing away with experience points entirely. We think this could be a good route to go.

When and if we do, level-ups will live where relationships do, tied to hooks. Characters who complete their personal stories will become more powerful. Hey! It's just like real life! If this system does get adopted and designed, I'll share more about it later. Mostly, this might just be a loving Wednesday post.

But...

Mm. I love it when you talk about game-mechanical advancement, darling. Speak to me.

...no. Nothing. I'll tell you later. <3